Conservation of threatened plants

St Bernard's lilies growing on sandy ground in the botanic garden — St Bernard's lily

Here, earlier weeds grow next to more conspicuous plants such as St Bernard's lily (Anthericum liliago) and globeflower (Trollius europaeus). This part of the garden is perhaps not the most showy, but all the more interesting because it houses species that are threatened with extinction in Skåne and at risk of disappearing from the landscape.

The botanical garden collaborates with the County Administrative Board, Lund Botanical Society and Fredriksdal Museum and Gardens in Helsingborg to save the most threatened species. This is done by collecting seeds from endangered species in the wild and growing them elsewhere (in the Botanical Garden), so-called ex situ conservation. This enables plant populations in nature to be strengthened and plant populations in new localities can be established.

tiny yellow flowered plants covering the ground

Weeds

The rationalization of agriculture over the last 100 years along with chemical weed control and less seed contamination has led to the disappearance of many species that were associated with agricultural land.

Formerly common plants such as field buttercup (Ranunculus arvensis) have changed from weeds to become rare plants threatened with extinction.